freeline-98 - Flipbook - Page 196
LEE GRIFFIN
BILL
DICK
PAUL
PHILLIPS
WILKINSON
GAYNER
p e rsonal photographer, P h i l, ha d g o ne ho me , s o I cal l e d u p o n
a n old friend, Andy Jenkin s , to c o me ove r to d o t h e p i c t u re s
fo r me. So, just a quick reca p , I h a d s eve n f i s h ove r a f ive - d ay
s e ssion: four 30s, one 20 a n d two d o u b l es . W h a t a n o p e n i n g
week for me!
A couple of weeks later, I wa s b a ck a n d ra ri n g to g o a n d
fo und a small group of fish he l d u p i n G e r ti e ’ s p a ds . I d e c i d ed
to fish for them from the o th e r s i d e o f t h e l ake , f i s h i n g f ro m
t h e Stile swim. This would al low a b et te r a n gl e fo r l i n e l ay a n d
fo r getting the fish away fro m t h e ma s s o f p a d s . T he b a i t a ga i n
was Pukka Fish and pelle t s. Ro d s o ut a n d re a dy to g o , I s a t
b a ck taking in the b eauty o f Wo r m ley. L o o k i n g o u t ac ro s s t h e
l a ke looking up at the Old Ho u s e, a ll I c o u ld s e e wa s a p i c t u re
p o stcard moment . The f ir st n i gh t we n t w i t h o u t a ny a c t iv i t y
a t all, but waking up at fi r s t l i gh t , a c arp c ra s h e d o u t o f t h e
water over my middle rod – a b lo o dy g re at cra s h w i t h r i p p l e s
d i sturbing the flat calm wa te r r i gh t a cro s s t h e l a ke . T h e c o o t s
were going mental. Around mi d d ay, St u d c a me ove r to s ay h e l l o
a n d to have a chat and a cu p p a . A s we we re s t a n d i n g t h e re , t h e
m i ddle rod was away, and I h i t i n to a p owe rf u l f i s h , t h e l i ly
p a ds exploding everywhere f ro m o n e a n gr y c a r p .
With the chest waders o n , I wa s o ut t he re i n t h e l a ke w i t h
t h e net at the ready, and aro u n d te n m i n u te s l a te r, a f te r a h a rd
b a ttle was fought , she was i n th e n e t a n d l o o ke d a g o o d we i gh t .
A s I got back to dry land, I wa s gre ete d by S tu d a nd G ra h a m
B a rnes, who was passing wh i ls t wa lk i n g h i s d o g . O n c e s h e wa s
o n the mat , Stud sai d, “T h a t ’s t he Pe rc h – s h e a lways h o l d s
h e r dorsal fin up.” On the s c a le s , s h e we n t j u s t s hy o f 32 l b s .
“ B rilliant ,” said Graham, an d a f te r ma ny p i c t u re s , I re l e a s e d
h e r back into her watery ho me .
FREELINE 74
